NOTD: 31 Jan 2011

Warning - adult language below.

Kind of cheating, as this was a NOTD from awhile back - I decided I wanted something fun, so I used a base coat of Naughty Nailz "I'm on bottom!", 2 coats of Red Hot Fuck (red with gold/orange shimmer), followed by one coat of Cummin' 4 U (a clear iridescent glitter) and then topped it all with Seche Vite.  I didn't use their top coat "I'm on top!" because I was running late.  


You really can't see the gold/orange shimmer as much as you can in the bottle of RHF, and C4U is more of a gold glitter than an iridescent glitter, but in the end, it worked.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Pre-Orders

If you haven't signed up for Rescue Beauty Lounge's newsletter yet, you're seriously missing out.  Ji personally writes and releases her newsletter with sales, pre-orders, etc.


Her new Iconic/Ironic collection is currently up for pre-order, along with her new base coat and Treatment System here.


I'm still lemming Catherine and Catherine H from the Real Housewives of the Tudor Dynasty but Insouciant is also calling my name...

Zoya Caitlin

Today's polish is Zoya Caitlin from the Intimates Collection, a misty, moody gray violet creme.  This is definitely the little sister of Kelly - same purple base but not nearly as dark.  (I'll do a comparison soon.)


I used a base of Zoya Anchor, 2 coats of Caitlin and a top of Zoya Armor.  I did find this polish to be slightly thicker than the others so far.

In the sun, you can see how moody this looks - it's soft but moody... a lot like me on cloudy days :P

Looks like a whole other color, right?  It's the purple base coming out - hides the grey while out in the shade.  Still very lovely and definitely a must have for me.


Zoya [official website] can be purchased on their website for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Zoya Jules

Next up from the Zoya Intimate collection is Jules, a "soft, glimmering gold kiss metallic" - except this girl doesn't want to behave!  She continued to photograph more slate grey than shimmering gold for me - go figure.


I used a base of Zoya Anchor, 2 coats of Jules and a top of Zoya Armor.

Oh hey, there's some gold!  But only in the sun, seriously.

Back in the shade and there's more of that slate looking color.  Oh Zoya, what are you doing to me?

Zoya [official website] can be purchased on their website for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Blogs of Note

Happy Sunday!  I'm having to spend the day cleaning (rawr), but please enjoy these blogs that I follow!

First is Ginger Kitty Designs.  Tracy makes jewelry using nail polish suspended in - well, I guess that's her trade secret, because I don't know what it's made from but it's BEAUTIFUL.  I own 4 sets of earrings and get compliments all the time on them.  Seriously, check out her blog.

Next is Iceomatic's Nails.  Liz has been on a break ever since getting a new job, but check out her blog for loads of detailed and really awesome looking nail art on her medium length nails!

Finally today is Imperfectly Painted.  Steph has medium to long length nails and she features a LOT of different brands, colors and finishes.  This is kind of a great melting pot blog because it has so much and it's all really awesome.

Enjoy!

Zoya Dannii

Did you know that every bottle of Zoya Nail Polish is named using a woman's name?  They have talked about their "Wall of Names" a few times and even posted a picture before.

Photo from Zoya Nail Polish & Treatments's Facebook page

I had no idea who Dannii could have been until today when I saw a tweet about Australian singer Dannii Minogue, sister of Kylie Minogue.  Maybe she was the inspiration for Zoya Dannii from the Intimates Collection?  Dannii is listed as a sparkling, enchanted orchid metallic and it is definitely a beautiful purple.  I wouldn't originally have thought this was a metallic because it's such a soft color, but the finish is a mix of a foil, a metallic and a shimmer.  I used a base of Zoya Anchor, 2 coats of Dannii and a top of Zoya Armor.

It even looks a bit holographic here in the sun!  But no holos here - it's just the goldish shimmer reflecting on the nail.

See the pretty shimmer?

In the shade, this color looks more blue but it's still a light "orchid" purple with that foil-y, metallic finish.  A very lovely soft, spring color - a must have for me.


Zoya [official website] can be purchased on their website for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Sally Hansen Flame

I had received a package from The Daily Nail awhile back that included this gem in it.  Sally Hansen Flame is currently discontinued (since they redid their entire line of products) but I did find a listing of 16 bottles on eBay for about $5 per bottle.  This is a very tomato red jelly polish.


I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Flame and a top of Seche Vite.  The formula was nice to work with.

Very nice color - it kind of looks like Jesse's Girl Wham Bam that I reviewed earlier this month - I may have to do a comparison soon.

Not much difference in the shade - just an overall poppy happy color.  ^_^  Thank you again Daily Nail!

OPI & Sorbet-Style

I got my first issue of NAILS magazine this month and the first ad is for OPI's new Texas Collection (also called "Deep In The Heart of Color").  I also saw OPI talk about this new "sorbet" style finish on their Twitter.  Now, it seems like "sorbet" may also be like the previously used "jelly" style of finish - where the polish is like water suspended in polish, but frankly I won't know until I see it in person.  Please enjoy the following press release from OPI about this new style.

Turn on the Heat with Icy Finishes!

OPI Introduces New Sorbet-Style

Lacquers for Spring/Summer 2011

From the company that brought revolutionary nail textures like matte, suede, and Black Shatter to women around the world, OPI announces a new special finish – semi-transparent sorbet shades. Featured first in the Texas Collection by OPI for Spring/Summer 2011, these lacquers give fingers and toes a lightly glossed appearance.

“These sorbet-style formulas for nails will be in full swing by 2012, but women can get a jump start on this trend with colors in the Texas Collection,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “Unlike thicker creams or light sheers, these twelve shades are slightly translucent – similar to the look of icy, water-based sorbet!” 

From sea blue and berry pink to tangerine and bright peach, the Texas Collection features classic American colors.  Designed to complement trends from the runway, these candy-coated lacquers accessorize the season’s must-have neutral pieces.

“To achieve the desired effect, an initial coat of Nail Lacquer should be applied to all ten fingers first – without doubling up coverage,” explains Suzi.  “Be sure to start from the pinky finger on one hand and paint through to the pinky on the other hand; then, after the first coat has dried, apply a second coat.”

OPI Nail Lacquer shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Texas Collection by OPI will be available February 2011, at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. 

            For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!


UPDATE 2 February 2011

Six of the 12 Texas colors, including Guy Meets Gal-veston, Ya'll Come Back Ya Hear?, Too Hot Pink to Hold 'Em, Big Hair...Big Nails, Do You Think I'm Tex-y? and Houston We Have a Purple all have this new sorbet finish.

Jesse's Girl Wild Thing vs China Glaze Purple Panic

Today I have another comparison post using Jesse's Girl Wild Thing and China Glaze Purple Panic, both purple neons.  In the bottle, they sure look pretty close.


For both polishes I used a base coat of Seche Natural, and 2 coats of polish.  No top coat was added to show the matte finish.

In the sun, you can see that Purple Panic is a bit lighter than Wild Thing.  Sometimes, I like to use a base coat of white polish to make neons pop, but I've noticed that purples tend to pop regardless.

In the shade, you can tell that these are cousins but not dupes of each other.  Wild Thing has a darker purple base than Purple Panic.  Tada!


Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl Wild Thing

YOU MAKE MY HEART SING.


Anywho.

Hello beautiful!  Jesse's Girl Wild Thing is a vibrant purple neon and definitely makes you want to sing (or at least I did, for awhile).


I used a base of Seche Natural and 2 coats of Wild Thing.  I did not use a top coat in order to show you the matte qualities that neons have.

Doesn't it just leap out at you?  You can also see all my ridges (which I'm going to buff out, eventually!).

The shade doesn't show much difference.  Still purple, still neon, still awesome.

Jesse's Girl sells for $2.99 a bottle online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Zoya Charla vs Jesse's Girl Glee vs OPI Catch Me In Your Net

What a mouthful of a title, eh?  As I mentioned before, Jesse's Girl Glee was very familiar so I went pulling through my colors after remembering how similar Zoya Charla and OPI Catch Me In Your Net were.

Whoa, blue green glitter mermaid overload!  Yes?


For Zoya's Charla, I used a base of Zoya Anchor, 2 coats of Charla and a top coat of Zoya Armor.
For Jesse's Girl's Glee, I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Glee and a top coat of Seche Vite.
For OPI's Catch Me In Your Net, I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail Base Coat, 2 coats of Catch Me In Your Net and a top of OPI Top Coat.


For reference, Zoya Charla is available for $7, Jesse's Girl is available for $2.99, and OPI sells for about $8.50.

One again, this color doesn't like to focus with my camera.  I think the results speak a bit for themselves.  While you can see a bit of VNL with all three, Glee is more opaque than Charla, and Charla is more opaque that Catch Me In Your Net.

In the shade, it appears that Glee has a slightly darker base than Charla but again, the VNL is showing a lot on Catch Me In Your Net.


So the choice is yours of course but pictures do say a thousand words.  :)


Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl Glee

Who doesn't love the TV show Glee?  I know I live for it (and it comes back on February 6th!) and make my friends watch it with me...  you?

Jesse's Girl Glee is a blue green glitter in a blue base.  Think you've seen it before?  That will be another post.  ;]

I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Glee, and a top of Seche Vite.  Because it is a glitter, removal takes a bit longer and you may need some cleanup afterwards.  No staining occurred.

My camera absolutely refused to focus on my nails - way too much glitter and with only 2 coats!

In the shade, I was able to get this color to relax and behave for the camera.  A beautiful mermaid color and for only $3!  Grab this one if you missed out on this trend last year.  It's totally worth it.

The High Intensity polish line launches officially on today on their website and the "prepacks" have already been spotted at Rite Aid stores.  They do provide free shipping on domestic orders over $20 and do ship internationally as well.  They even accept PayPal.

Jesse's Girl sells for $2.99 a bottle online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl JulieG

As soon as I saw Jesse's Girl JulieG, I thought of a watermelon Jolly Rancher and my mouth started to water.  This is a beautiful light coral that was designed and named for the YouTuber JulieG.  


I used a base of Seche Natural, 2 coats of JulieG and top of Seche Vite.  The formula on this was very nice - buttery almost.  Very nice and very colorful.

In the sun, this color is a bit more red than real life - I think it's partly due to the competition with my skin.

In the shade, the true color comes out - can you see a Jolly Rancher in this?!  I love this color - surprisingly... I wasn't even thinking I'd like it originally but then on the nail I was in just love.

The High Intensity polish line launches officially on 25 January on their website and the "prepacks" have already been spotted at Rite Aid stores.  They do provide free shipping on domestic orders over $20 and do ship internationally as well.  They even accept PayPal.

Jesse's Girl sells for $2.99 a bottle online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl Midori

Remember that plastic shredded grass that was found in your Easter basket?  I had a love hate relationship with that stuff - it was so much fun but it got EVERYWHERE.  With Spring upon us (apparently - it was 32 degrees the other night), a bright color for your nails is always fun.  Jesse's Girl Midori is a very light yellow green metallic polish.  Yes, metallic - so hello brush strokes.  ^_^


I used a base of Seche Natural, 3 coats of Midori and a top of Seche Vite.

In the sun you can see the brush strokes but that's typical of all metallics so no worries there.  I did have a bit of patchiness which is why I went for three coats instead of two but you can still see a bit of VNL on my pinkie.

Shade.  This color is a little similar to Cheeky Monkey Lucky U but Midori is MUCH more green and less silver pearl.  The two of them might be really pretty in a water marble manicure, actually.


The High Intensity polish line launches officially on 25 January on their website and the "prepacks" have already been spotted at Rite Aid stores.  They do provide free shipping on domestic orders over $20 and do ship internationally as well.  They even accept PayPal.

Jesse's Girl sells for $2.99 a bottle online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl Confetti

Jesse's Girl Confetti looked like it was going to be THE color of this entire line.  It's this beautiful purple blue shimmery glittery party in a bottle.  I was absolutely in love.


I used a base of Seche Natural, 4 coats of Confetti (and it didn't become opaque) and a top of Seche Vite.


That's when I decided "Time for black."  My ring and pinky fingers has a base of CND Blackjack and then 2 coats of Confetti.

On its own, it tries - it really tries but this is a color best layered over another.

Indoors under 6500K lights - you can see how pretty it is.

One picture in the shade.

And this was just pretty to me.


Confetti looks like it could be a dupe with the Sally Hansen HD colors that came out last year - which I bought all of them... I'll have to do some comparison posts at a later date.  ^_^


The High Intensity polish line launches officially on 25 January on their website and the "prepacks" have already been spotted at Rite Aid stores.  They do provide free shipping on domestic orders over $20 and do ship internationally as well.  They even accept PayPal.

Jesse's Girl sells for $2.99 a bottle online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Blogs of Note

Happy Sunday!


This blog has some explicit language, but let me tell you, it's hilarious and you might learn a thing or two!  It's not makeup or beauty, but instead some awesome recipes.  The writer is a long time Internet friend of mine, so here's a shout out!


GetchaNailsDid is a great blog to see nail art and swatches.  For some crazy awesome reason, I've had over 1000 referrals from her website, and I just hope to one day pay it forward.  She has very nicely manicured medium to long nails that are squared.


Finally today is GildedNails from Down Under (Australia).  She also has medium to long nails that are slightly squared, partially almond.  I love that she has access to polishes that I haven't seen a lot of in the States like Models Own but also swatches MAC, OPI, China Glaze, Zoya and more.  Good stuff!

Urban Decay Pigment Giveaway!

Mmmm pigments - are you ready for these to be yours?!  For a full review on all 12, please read this post.


This giveaway is for 12 unopened tubes of pigment (one in each color) but not just one person will win, but THREE (I have 36 tubes of pigment here!).  Thank you to all those who signed up to Hautelook using my referral link and purchasing something off Hautelook - because of you, I was able to get these pigments.


Giveaway starts today 22 January and ends 7 February at midnight GMT.  All readers are eligible to win.

(1) Be a follower via GFC. [What is GFC (Google Friend Connect)? Click here!]
(2) Fill out the form below.


EXTRA ENTRIES!
(1) Follow me on Twitter!
(2) Tweet the following statement & post the URL in the space on the form [How do I get the direct URL of my tweet? Click here!]

I want to win all 12 @UrbanDecay411 Pigments from @keysgoround! http://tinyurl.com/4uhp5q5 

=======================================

This giveaway is now closed.

Good luck!  Tell your friends!

Urban Decay Pigments

Remember this posting?  Well now all the pigments are in and I'm ready to have a giveaway!  This posting will just be the review of the pigments and my giveaway post will be separate.


Urban Decay currently has 12 shades to choose from on their website and they are listed at $20 a piece.  Each tube contains 1.0 gram of product/0.03 US oz which isn't that much but a little goes a very long way.  You can find them for sale from time to time (which is what I did when I purchased these for $5 a piece) and they are really powerful pops of color to use as eyeshadow.


The 12 shades are:
Gunmetal - gray in charcoal base with iridescent microglitter
Rockstar - dark purple in black base with silver/purple microglitter
Goddess - midnight blue with electric blue microglitter
Smog - medium brown
Baked - rich bronze
Shag - pale bronze
X - gold with peach shift
Graffiti - bright green
Protest - dark green in charcoal base with iridescent
Shattered - bright green/blue
Asphyxia - bright pink with purple shift
Yeyo - bright white


With the exception of X, the other 11 pigments are vegan products and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients.


Now pigments aren't just for eyeshadow as YouTube vBlogger Dustin Hunter has shows in his 4 part video series (using MAC pigments), and if you have time, I highly suggest you check them out.


On to the pictures!  I've broken them up in sets of 3 and 6 - all pictures may be viewed larger if you click on them.  First I used just a swipe of color using the pigment brush included in the package and then next to it is a swatch with the Urban Decay Potion Primer in Eden (tawny matte finish) that I got out by using a Q-tip.  I highly recommend using an external brush to get your pigment out (or Q-tip) because otherwise you risk contaminating your pigment if you're using a primer to set the pigment.


Additionally, I'm not in love with the brush - it's quite short and doesn't have much give.

First up are Gunmetal, Rockstar, Goddess, Smog, Baked and Shag.

Gunmetal, Rockstar, Goddess, Smog, Baked and Shag sun

Gunmetal, Rockstar and Goddess sun

Gunmetal, Rockstar and Goddess shade

Smog, Baked and Shag sun

Smog, Baked and Shag shade

Out of this bunch, I'm very partial to Rockstar and Goddess.  Kat Von D has a palette with similar colors but her palette has so much fall out of glitter when applied.  While pigments can be messy, when you use a primer (like I did), they stay much better on your lids but you will experience some glitter fallout.  I like to use a MAC wipe (or any makeup wipe) to clean up any fallout after putting on makeup.  Shag was probably my least favorite because it's so neutral against my skin but neutrals have their place too!  The NAKED palette is a huge success for Urban Decay because it does contain so many neutral colors.

Next is X, Graffiti, Protest, Shattered, Asphyxia and Yeyo.

X, Graffiti, Protest, Shattered, Asphyxia and Yeyo sun

X, Graffiti, Protest, Shattered, Asphyxia and Yeyo shade

X, Graffiti and Protest sun

X, Graffiti and Protest shade

Shattered, Asphyxia and Yeyo sun

Shattered, Asphyxia and Yeyo shade

I thought these 6 would be my favorite but they were also some of the hardest to show up without primer as you can see with Shattered.  Asphyxia is my favorite because it's purple (I even had bought a backup) but I have to wear quite a bit of it for it to really show on my lids.

Overall, I'm a huge fan of pigments - just know that a little goes a LONG way and you'll be fine.  Also do check out Dustin's videos for more ways to use pigments other than just "it's like concentrated eyeshadow!"